$1 hold on credit cards?

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ckc

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#157508 3-Dec-2014 11:01

So we just moved over to VF prepay, and we both topped up our phones at different times - I moved over a month ago, and my partner moved over last week. We both just topped up last week, and we were doing our accounts yesterday and saw that aside from the actual payments to VF that we made, VF have put a $1 on our card.

Rather than wait eight years on 777, I thought I'd post here and ask, and see if anyone else on VF prepay has a hold on the card.

Note: I saved my card in the online system, my partner didn't.

sbiddle

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#1187796 3-Dec-2014 11:05

It's pretty much standard practice for many companies to do this these days for billing - put the hold to verify the card and then refund it.

konfusd

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#1187799 3-Dec-2014 11:08

From http://help.vodafone.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/16879/~/why-is-there-a-$1-authorisation-from-vodafone-on-my-online-credit-card

"It's a temporary $1 authorisation to check the card is valid when you :
- Top Up or pay a bill with a credit card, that isn't registered with us, or
- register your credit card with us for the first time.

This is not a charge but the $1 authorisation may appear on your bank account online for 1 to 7 days (or longer for overseas banks) after this check has been done."

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Handsomedan

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#1187840 3-Dec-2014 11:34

And if it's a debit card it looks slightly different to a pre-auth on a credit card...more like a withdrawal.

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ckc

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#1187879 3-Dec-2014 12:18

konfusd: From http://help.vodafone.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/16879/~/why-is-there-a-$1-authorisation-from-vodafone-on-my-online-credit-card

"It's a temporary $1 authorisation to check the card is valid when you :
- Top Up or pay a bill with a credit card, that isn't registered with us, or
- register your credit card with us for the first time.

This is not a charge but the $1 authorisation may appear on your bank account online for 1 to 7 days (or longer for overseas banks) after this check has been done."

I like that they felt they had to put a dollar hold on the cards when we'd already paid them $40.

konfusd

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#1187885 3-Dec-2014 12:34

@ckc the $1 hold would have been processed before the actual payment

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SirHumphreyAppleby

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#1187886 3-Dec-2014 12:36

konfusd: @ckc the $1 hold would have been processed before the actual payment

It's still pointless, is it not? Why not just charge the top-up amount and leave it at that?

I can understand the $1 hold when signing up for a free trial, but not when it's a one-off payment. Also, why does it have to be $1? Why not $0.01?

ckc

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#1187888 3-Dec-2014 12:40

No, the payment came out on Friday, and the hold only appeared yesterday. Yeah, I mean, I could understand if I just registered my card. But I'd actually paid money that came out on Friday, and then the hold appeared yesterday. Doesn't make a great deal of sense.

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dacraka

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#1187891 3-Dec-2014 12:45

Usually with these sites, the $1 is to check and remember your credit card details and not for the actual payment (which may occur later on) e.g. monthly automatic billing.

ckc

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#1187892 3-Dec-2014 12:46

I would understand that with mine, because I asked for mine to be remembered. But my partner didn't ask for hers to be remembered. The thought horrifies her.

dacraka

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#1188592 4-Dec-2014 12:38

They are probably charging you $1 to see if it gets denied to see if it is a valid credit card or not, however they could test that with a real purchase instead, couldn't they? That is why I asked if you were selecting "Remember my card" or not (sorry I now see that you specified that in your original post!)
Correct me if I am wrong, maybe the developer just didn't have the time to implement the feature where if you are not remembering the card, then don't do the $1 authorisation? (Just to confirm - I am correct that both you and your partner both got charged the $1 auth, right?)

ckc

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#1188789 4-Dec-2014 17:06

Yep, we both got the $1 hold. But yeah, we also both spent money. :)